When it comes to healthcare, the wealthy are considered privileged. Yet when that care involves the social services of domestic violence intervention, the wealthy fall through the cracks of the system. Why?

Because one wealthy family has the potential to utilize the resources of an entire annual budget for a domestic violence victims’ program. The net result of this is the wealthy often fall through the cracks of domestic violence assistance services.

When families of marginal means require domestic abuse services, they are easily managed through public domestic abuse agencies. Yet, when women of greater means come knocking at the door, they can be told “your case is a career,” “the staff resources you may require could utilize, or even exceed, our entire annual budget.”

I believe this is one of the reasons upper middle class women linger in what I call the “family violence transition zone” longer than their less economically advantaged counterparts. And the damage to these women in limbo aggravates their circumstances and compounds the aftermath of their trauma.

If you are in an affluent family and in an abusive relationship, you do not have to prolong your exit to safety, stability and well-being. If you are turned down for assistance, you do not have to give up on “getting out,” or getting help, or most definitely on yourself.

Seek to uncover services suitable to you through professional networks. And call upon the public services for that which can be offered to you by them at little cost. Leaving an abusive relationship can be difficult and if you deal directly with the “money factor” in this sector of social services, you will walk this road with less frustration and disenchantment.

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Dr. Jeanne King is a licensed psychologist and domestic abuse consultant. Feel free to contact us if you need help with physical and/or emotional pain, stress-related illnesses, or relationship abuse issues at home or in court. Contact Us to reach Dr. King.